GB 1960 1hr 41mins Dir: John Gilling Starring: Jayne Mansfield and Anthony Quayle
A lady mobster kidnaps the son of an ex-convict to get at stolen loot
This crime film has a railway sequence central to the latter half of the story. The climax sees a race against time to prevent the boy getting killed by playing chicken on a railway under duress from the gang of villains. This was filmed on the ever faithful Longmoor Military Railway in one of its first major roles, with Longmoor Downs station masquerading as ‘Fourways’. The main motive power that featured was WD ‘Austerity’ 2-10-0 No.601 Kitchener, seen a number of times in the film, though the other of Longmoor’s 2-10-0s No.600 Gordon is likely to have been used, and one of their Hunslet 0-6-0STs is also seen. Added to this footage are a number of stock shots that include an LMS 4-6-0 on an express, a GWR ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 passing through a halt, and an ‘over-the-camera’ shot of an LNER A1/A2 Class 4-6-2 at the very end, a shot which had originally appeared in the 1958 musical Six-Five Special. In addition to this, there are some shots filmed at London Marylebone station and another of the old taxi rank adjacent to London Paddington.
This is Longmoor Downs with No.601 Kitchener coming to a stand
Among all the railway scenes is this fabulous shot from inside a car as it chases the train. The sheer bulk of the Austerity 2-10-0 is clear to see
An overall view of Longmoor Downs station with train
The train begins to pull out of Longmoor Downs
One of the gang involved has gone straight and works for the railway and several scenes take place by this signal box
Here we see one of the LMR’s Austerity Saddle Tank locos putting in an appearance on a short freight.
The production company appeared to have full use of the facilities at Longmoor and weren’t shy on filming. This particularly good shot of the train rounding a bend is approaching the film’s climax, and is bettered only by…..
…..this wonderful shot of a War Department Austerity 2-10-0 coming to a stand
It wasn’t all filmed at Longmoor. This is the old Eastbourne Terrace taxi rank at Paddington but all the platform scenes…..
…..used London Marylebone. Anthony Quayle stands on the concourse in the hope of catching his pursuer
Without luck, however, and the train departs without Quayle
Stock shot No.1. An LMS 4-6-0 on an express
Stock shot No.2. A GWR Castle on train 1B44 hacks through a small GWR station, thought to be Saltford.
Stock shot No.3. An ‘over-the-camera’ shot of an LNER A1/A2 pacific ends the film. This first appeared in Six-Five Special (1958 – qv).
